• 1 count of accessory to unlawfully hunting on private property without permission from the landowner
• 2 counts of accessory to unlawfully hunting whitetail deer with an invalidated archery deer permit
• 2 counts of accessory to the unlawful possession of a whitetail deer taken in violation of administrative rule
• 2 count of unlawfully hunting without a valid non-resident hunting license
• 2 count of unlawfully hunting whitetail deer without a State Habitat Stamp

Authorities said the hunters were connected to wildlife violations involving 31 whitetail deer. The largest buck, taken in Cook County, was a large deer valued at $25,000 and measuring 213 5/8 inches.

Several of the "trophy deer" were worth thousands of dollars each.

Stacey Solano, an Illinois DNR officer, said all of the charges are misdemeanors. The deer were killed with bows.

Whlie the investigation took five months, the illegal hunting apparently went on for longer. Solano said the largest buck was taken in 2010.

She described the poaching case as significant.

"We deal with just a few cases like this a year," she said. "We see poaching, but mostly in a smaller way."

DNR officers in Illinois worked with Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers, Indiana Department of Natural Resources conservation officers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel during the investigation.